Member Spotlight: 

Jay Lewis—Lewis Electrical Contracting & Consulting Services, Inc., Cottage Grove, MN

Jay Lewis has been a member of MEA for twenty years. During this time, he has been actively involved with various committees and currently chairs the Membership Committee. When he’s not running his business, Lewis Electrical Contracting and Consulting Services Inc, he can be found spending time with his wife Kari, their children and five grandchildren. Jay was nice enough to give us a moment of his time today.

What was life like growing up in the small town of Bird Island, MN?
My stepfather started Hector Plumbing and Heating in 1950 and later Ewers Electric in the mid-70’s. Although Bird Island is a small town in western MN with just under 1,000 people, there was plenty of electrical work to be done with three electrical contractors in town. So I learned a lot of the basics through osmosis and by helping out on the farm from a young age growing up. I later went on to electrical school in 1981 to begin my career as an electrician.

Was it always in the plan to become an electrician?
No. I initially wanted to become a professional photographer, but my parents made it clear that they were not going to pay the schooling required. Growing up in my community, I saw that contractors and electricians had a good lifestyle, made a decent living and were financially stable compared to some of the other families. So it was a decision by default and I wasn’t excited about the choice at first. But as I began working in the field, I grew to like the comradery with the other guys on the jobsites. I went on to become a licensed Journeyman and then Master. In 1991, I opened my first business, Metro-Wide Electric.

How did you get involved with MEA?
My stepfather received the newsletters growing up, so I was always aware of MEA. After being in business for a number of years, I finally joined in the late 90s and attended my first conference right away. I was so nervous at first going all by myself, but I met a lot of really good people who convinced me to keep coming back and I’ve been doing so ever since. MEA’s conferences are one of the few places an electrical contractor can go to talk with other like-minded contractors about the issues they are up against in running their businesses.

What are your hobbies when you’re not working?
Other than spending time with my grandkids and working on the various improvements around my house, I’ve been collecting old electrical parts and books for years. I’m also a big music fan, so I have a large record collection and try to get out to a few music festivals every year.